Integrated smart power circuits have gained importance as many segments of microelectronics move towards system integration. Smart power technologies offer the monolithic system integration of many complex circuits—analog, digital and power—on a single chip, enabling the design and production of even more miniaturized systems for different applications in the fields of automotive (e.g., anti-lock braking, airbag systems, anti-theft devices, engine management of the car, etc.), industrial electronics (e.g., intelligent switches, driving circuits for stepper motors, etc.), telecommunications, and electronic data processing. Voltage generation and stabilization within the system is one of the main requirements for the realization of an efficient smart power circuit. In such circuits, the sub-surface Zener diode, which may be referred to as a “buried Zener diode,” can be used for voltage regulation, voltage clamping, and protection against electrostatic discharge events.